2 Career Paths of Highly Satisfied Employees

Years ago, when I was doing research on the topic of job satisfaction for my book, I came upon an article in the academic journal Sociological Forum titled “It’s the Job that I Love” that explores a profession I personally would have never thought of as fun or even remotely satisfying. The article, based on its author’s doctoral dissertation, studies the bike messenger industry and how a good portion of those in the occupation report to passionately love their job and derive great enjoyment from it.

My view of bike messengers isn’t as low as the one published in this Washington Post article, but since the profession doesn’t come with benefits like a base annual salary or health insurance, it’s certainly not a job I had ever considered pursuing. Contrary to my assumptions about the profession, the article and its supporting research explained that bike messengers find so much satisfaction in their work because their "entire lives are wrapped up inside a distinct messenger lifestyle that cherishes the thrills and threats of dodging cars as they speed through the city." They are also able to work primarily independently, take pride in their daily achievements, enjoy continuous problem solving as they navigate routes, and don’t have to think about work when not at work.

The more research I did on job satisfaction, the more I kept finding similar themes reported by people in other careers who like their jobs as much as bike messengers like theirs. Thrill-seeking isn’t consistently a trend, but the other traits are: job-related identity, trust by their employer and/or client to do their job well, trust in self to do their job well, ability to make daily achievements, a general interest in the job they do, ability to detach when not at work, and a collegiality with coworkers and/or profession. One of the only traits commonly reported by people with high job satisfaction that wasn’t present in the research done about bike messengers was job security, which may be present for messengers, but simply wasn’t reported in the study.

This research, in combination with years of working in the productivity, time management, and organizing industry, has led me to conclude that there are just two types of professions that ultimately bring happiness to a worker: the fully immersed career or the completely detached job. Once you begin to move away from the streamlined simplicity of these dual approaches, you may find yourself in a work situation that generates negative stress and frustration.

The Immersed Career

This is a career that you love with a deep passion that is an integral part and reflection of who you are. If you have colleagues, you are surrounded by people who support, believe in, and are committed ardently to a similar vision. You may not like every aspect of your work, but you find those not-as-desirable tasks worth the effort and part of your calling. You know you can do the work and people value your dedication. In almost all aspects, the line between work life and personal life are blurred with this type of career.

The Detached Job

This is a job that has regular hours, there are relatively few or no demands on your time beyond your scheduled work day, it generates enough income that you feel fairly compensated for the work you’re doing, you believe your coworkers and boss are pleasant individuals, you have no moral objections to the type of work you’re doing, you know you can do the work assigned to you, and you appreciate how it allows you to pursue your passions in the world beyond your job.

In short, the immersed career is your passion, while the detached job is one that doesn’t interfere with pursuing your passion elsewhere.

The immersed career is your passion, while the detached job is one that doesn’t interfere with pursuing your passion elsewhere.

If your job isn’t one of these two—neither a job that happily consumes your daily being, nor a job that you can fully leave behind at the end of the work day—you’re likely frustrated with it or find that it causes you consistent, negative stress. (Positive stress is good because it gets you moving and energized. Negative stress is clutter because it isn’t productive and causes dissatisfaction and aggravation.) Some of the worst scenarios, for instance, are when you’re in an immersed career but actually dislike your coworkers, or in a detached job with a boss who nonetheless consistently demands that you put in time beyond your regular hours.

The current economic market might make quitting a cluttered profession difficult, so obtaining an uncluttered career may not be possible in the short-term. As far as long-term goal setting is concerned, though, moving to an uncluttered career/job is important if you’re interested in being happy with your work life. You don’t have to be a bike messenger to have an uncluttered job, you simply have to find whatever is the equivalent for your life. Consider making your passion your career or finding a job that allows you to easily pursue your passion outside of the workplace.